Agricultural industry body AgriSA’s member organisations have urged the body not to participate in an upcoming “mass protest” march against farm murders organised by AfriForum.

AgriSA on Monday said it consulted its member organisations throughout the country after being approached to participate in the march, all of which said the “time was not right to become involved in further protest actions”.

Member groups, including nine provincial and 25 commodity organisations, cited concerns around the “inclusive nature of Black Monday” potentially becoming politicised as well as the “political undertones” of the march as reasons for their unwillingness to participate, AgriSA said in a statement.

It also said the representatives of its member organisations were satisfied that the message about South Africans having “had enough of crime” was already conveyed clearly on Black Monday and did not warrant a subsequent march.

“Our focus is now on working in a solution-driven manner. Now is the time for sober leadership and calmness. Civil society, including farmers and farmworkers, must join hands to expose crime at grassroots level within our own communities,” said Dan Kriek, president of AgriSA.